Two of my buddies are accompanying me on an assault on the Westpac Helicopter 90km challenge. One of 'em asked me what we should take with us in terms of equipment - I figure on the following but I'm open to suggestions about keeping the overall weight down:

- Hydro packs (2L or 3L), food- Multi tool with spoke tool and chain breaker (just bought a nifty one that does all this)- A couple of spare spokes to suit the wheels- Two tubes, instant patches, c02- Pump- Emergency derailleur hanger (apparently part of the course is covered in gear busting sticks)- shimano cassette tool for driveside spoke failures (ordinarily I'd keep riding but say if you busted two spokes you'd want to fix it)

I've busted a spoke on the el-cheapo wheels I'm currently running and made it home on a training ride (yay disk brakes) but I'm kinda paranoid that two spokes on these wheels will put me out of action completely - is it overkill? I'm trying to be mindful of the "self reliance" principle.

So we get the leaders we deserve and we elect, we get the companies and the products that we ask for, right? And we have to ask for different things. – Paul Gildingbut really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.

I take a rudimentary first aid kit as well, stretchy bandage, triangular bandage, electrolye tablets, mobile phone, spare chain links, pins, and separate chain breaker, those all in ones are tidy, but annoying to use trailside. I also would take 3l water in camel bak as well as a bottle on the frame. Definitely take a spare deraileur hanger. I bring a tyre boot as well for a slashed sidewall in case my tubeless setup can no longer contain a tube. Food wise, I take gu's and clifbars cos I hate being hungry on a ride.

If you've got the mounts on your bike, carry the extra water in bottles as well.

Having said that - the name of the event implies it's something organised and with a number of people participating - will there be designated food & hydration stops?

Never the minimalist I've got one of those small backpacks which has provision for a hydration bladder, rather than one of the dedicated type of low profile camelbak type products with minimal pockets and carrying capacity. It gives me a bit extra room for the longer trips... and hey I was never a speed demon/weight weenie anyway

+1 on the cable ties. Definitely a spare Powerlink or missing link for your chain. And the other gear suggested.

I also tend to carry a couple of 1 metre lengths of the twisted pair wire from the inside of a Cat 5 computer cable. Each wire is a solid length of copper wrapped in PVC - each pair has two of them. Taking a couple of pairs mean you have four lengths of some very handy tie wire that is soft, strong, pliable and non marking or damaging to other alloy components. And it wraps up into a very tiny package that weighs nothing and costs just the same.

Re: the hydration pack, might be best to take the bigger pack that has provision for hydration rather than the dedicated one, that's a good idea I will try out. would make it easier to carry a lightweight jacket too if the weather turns ugly.

Adding another bottle cage to the bike.

First aid kit == excellent idea.

Not sure on water stop / food stop, I think there is one but I will have to check. Definitely taking bars/gu's of some sort. On the 100km road races I did this year I tended to stick to the chocolate ones as they didn't upset my guts but this ride will be substantially longer and might require something more palatable.

So we get the leaders we deserve and we elect, we get the companies and the products that we ask for, right? And we have to ask for different things. – Paul Gildingbut really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.

drubie wrote:Definitely taking bars/gu's of some sort. On the 100km road races I did this year I tended to stick to the chocolate ones as they didn't upset my guts but this ride will be substantially longer and might require something more palatable.

I avoid chocky after a few warm incidents and them not surviving too well. Although on some shorter rides I had the bladder largely filled with ice to start with, and being able shove the bar down alongside it helps. Sultanas are a good quick pep and pretty hardy travellers.

THe mule camel bak takes a three litre bladder, and all of the other gear listed with room to spare. It would also fit a compact thin rain or spray jacket, but I don't mind getting wet when I ride so I don't carry one.

Crittski - it's not so much the wet but the weather up here in New England is very changeable this time of year (was a nice ice storm this afternoon) so I figure the jacket may be mandatory. On the food front...a 100km road race is only 3 and a bit hours but the cut-off for the 90km mtb thing is 7 hours. That's potentially a long time on the bike. I'm thinking maybe foil wrapped rice cakes or something like that as an adjunct to the commercial gel/slop/mush.

HappyHumber: Sultanas sound OK but another roadie clubmate up here swears by dates. Sorta big Sultanas I suppose and easier to handle if you don't want to stop. I might try some first though, they may not be all that palatable / be an acquired taste.

I'

So we get the leaders we deserve and we elect, we get the companies and the products that we ask for, right? And we have to ask for different things. – Paul Gildingbut really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.

I wouldn't put carbs in your camelbak if you want the bladder to remain in usable condition for the next ride. Electrolytes only are OK, though. I would expect for a 90km event they would have water supply points en route, so you should be able to carry powder in pre-measured ziplock bags to top up your bidons on teh way.

The gels get a bit much if you're relying on them solely. I've found the Cadel energy bars you can get in the supermarket to be quite good when you get a hankering for something solid, and bananas aren't bad for a change either.

I expect we'll stay together, its a team event and the time recorded is the last guy over the line. We shall try to even up the packs and not double up on equipment.

Thanks everybody!

So we get the leaders we deserve and we elect, we get the companies and the products that we ask for, right? And we have to ask for different things. – Paul Gildingbut really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.

Staminade - please, no! You'll feel great for about 3 minutes and then suffer like a dog until you take the next swig, rinse and repeat. Do not use anything with sucrose (plain table sugar) in it for endurance events if you want this to be remotely enjoyable.

Try 750ml (mixed) of this:

And 1 to two of these:

plus say half a Cadel's bar per hour of riding and you'll complete the event comfortably. Both are available very cheaply from wiggle.

There are caffeinated High 5 ones available as well, although I find the caffeine amount is a bit high for my liking.

The local equivalent is Endura, which is very very good although twice the cost of High 5 at Wiggle's prices. Endura has the bonus of having magnesium in it for cramp prevention, but you should be trialling this stuff on your training rides to test out and get your stomach used to it, as it doesn't agree with everybody and being out in the middle of the bush on a 90km ride is not a nice place to find that out.

I like that Endura gels are very lightly caffeinated (8mg only vs 30 for the High 5 caffeinated variety) - gives you the boost without overdoing the caffeine in longer events, as you get a bit sick of it by the end.

I did a pretty big one today...i took a pump,1 tube,3,4,5mm allen keys,1 tyre lever,1 chain tool,1 head torch (as we went through a km or so of abandoned train tunnels),1 big bidon.No food as we ate at appointed feed zones...but if it was a 100km race I would only stop at one feed station for a liquid refill and live off the gels in my pocket.Lovely scenic ride...but way to little single track for such a long ride.Anyway...this is a supported ride right,so personally I don't think you need to take the kitchen sink,if you break a bone you wont be walking out.

I have ridden this ride ever since it kicked off. I am hoping to get down to Walcha again at the end of the month but am yet to enter a team as my previous team members have softcocked it this year. I have never taken half the stuff you have planned and there is good support for the ride. Mind you if you have an issue and you want to finish then best to have spares and tools to enable that to happen.

I broke my chain last year, a bit over halfway on the 70km course, but got a lift on the back of a quad bike to a farm shed by a grazier whose land the course runs through. We managed to get the link pin out and fit the chain back on with the old pin and I gently rode the rest of the race. I didn't have a chain tool or spare links but using bush mechanics I was able to get moving again. Needless to say, this year I will carry a Connex quick link, chain breaker and other stuff I haven't carried before.

There are three water/food stops but they do encourage you to have full bidons and food on you when you start. I have refilled water and drank their Powerades and muesli bars but have tried in the past to have sufficient sustenance in jersey pockets . I only have a 1.5L Camelbak but have found while I have refilled it during the race I don't see the need to get a bigger one for the Walcha ride. It doesn't get warm till a couple of hours into the race.

moreegolfer wrote:I have ridden this ride ever since it kicked off.... I only have a 1.5L Camelbak but have found while I have refilled it during the race I don't see the need to get a bigger one for the Walcha ride. It doesn't get warm till a couple of hours into the race.

If anyone is needing a team member give me a shout.

I'll keep it in mind moreegolfer. The only reason I'm a bit paranoid about tools/consumables is that I hate being dependent on other people for rescues. Nice to know we can get a little water though, the 2l pack I bought was probably touch-n-go for 90km.

I've ridden with a chain tool pretty much forever - never broke a chain myself but have used it in the past on other peoples bikes. It's the difference between calling for a rescue and riding home and the ones on the multitools have improved so much they're as good as being back in the shed.

So we get the leaders we deserve and we elect, we get the companies and the products that we ask for, right? And we have to ask for different things. – Paul Gildingbut really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.

I was having a great ride today...about the 30km mark I missed a turn just after passing about 5 chaps....so I hammered to get back on them and then went to take them all on a downhill section while following another guy....hit a rock with the rear...1 cm cut .Put a bit of plastic in and tube but it was trashed...asked for directions home by road as I only carried one spare tube.Made it within 5km's off the start point before the tube gave out.5 kms on a flat rear while standing up.PITA as the tyre was only on it's second ride!.Oh well still got 60km in.

OK, maybe I'm missing something, but are you going to take a chain whip too? And does your tool have a handle or are you taking a shifter?

Oh yeah, a chain whip. Maybe the whole idea is silly.

toolonglegs wrote:PITA as the tyre was only on it's second ride!.Oh well still got 60km in.

Hah, praying for punctures is not a strategy!

So we get the leaders we deserve and we elect, we get the companies and the products that we ask for, right? And we have to ask for different things. – Paul Gildingbut really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.

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